


Innocent Diversions

by Theatrhythm



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Walk Of Shame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 06:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theatrhythm/pseuds/Theatrhythm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Walking back to your dorm in heels at five in the morning might give other people the wrong impression. College AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Innocent Diversions

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by an AU prompt on Tumblr: “We met each other on a Sunday morning, both doing our walk of shame”.

In the chill of the early morning air, Sakura lets out a small shiver as she makes her way through the deserted campus towards her dormitory. It is not a far walk from Oboro's, where they had just wrapped up their small gathering that was as close to a party as Sakura could ever consider attending. "Girls' Night", Oboro had called it. An evening of unwinding from university classes, family stress, and the woes of romance in each other's company, but if Sakura was being honest, it seemed more of an excuse to eat junk food without repercussions.

She shivers again, gusts of wind nipping against her cheeks and tossing one of her ringlets into her face. She tucks the stray lock behind her ear, fingers tangling through the silky pink curls so unfamiliar to her. It was at Oboro's insistence that they dolled each other up ("It's part of the _pampering process!_ "), fashioning their hair into elaborate styles, donning layers of makeup, strapping into party dresses, only to sit in a makeshift pile of pillows and comforters to scarf down pizza and binge-watch romantic comedies. It was a side of Oboro few others knew, but made her all the more endearing.

By the time the last of the DVDs had run its course and popped out of the player, Hana had already fallen asleep in a snoring pile with Setsuna and Orochi, curled into a ball and mumbling about flying horses. Sakura bid her roommate a whispered good night nonetheless, and took off to sleep in her own room after shutting off the TV and dumping the paper plates of crust and crumbs into the trashcan.

The sun hasn't risen yet, but she knows it's well past five o'clock. Her heels click noisily as she wobbles between the crevices with poor footing - an unwise choice of shoes for the winding cobblestone paths cutting through the school grounds. It is not a long walk, she reminds herself, just a little more.

She sees another boy not so far away, rubbing his eyes blearily as he lets out a stiff yawn. He is also fully dressed, she realizes, albeit his clothes are somewhat rumpled, the back tag of his shirt very clearly sticking out, his hair unruly. They lock eyes briefly as he draws near.

"'Morning," he says in a gravelly voice.

"G-Good morning," she squeaks, as he passes by.

She arrives at her building and fumbles with her keys before swinging open the door to her dorm room. She kicks off her heels, shuffles over to her futon, and falls asleep as her head hits the pillow.

By the time she wakes in the early afternoon, Hana is lounging on their chaise in a bathrobe, flipping through channels on their TV. She notices Sakura in the doorway and jumps to her feet. "Sakura! I'm so glad you made it home okay, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have passed out!"

Sakura laughs. "It's okay, Hana-"

"Did you run into anyone? Did anyone give you any trouble?"

"No, it was fine," she responds. "I think most everyone on campus was asleep..." She pauses. "I-I did run into a boy, though."

Hana's eyes narrow. "What boy? Did he do anything to you?"

"No," she says quickly, "he was just on his way back to his room, I think... He looked..." Her brows furrow thoughtfully. "A bit messy? Maybe he was out all night, too..."

Hana's eyes widen slightly. "Was he dressed, too? Not pajamas or anything?"

"Yes, I think so..."

With that, Hana bursts out laughing. Sakura frowns. "What's so funny?"

And that is when Hana, grinning, explains the "walk of shame" to her roommate.

"He probably thought you were doing the exact same thing, Sakura," she supplies, gesturing to her roommate's outfit - still clad in her pink cocktail dress, her smeared lipgloss, her messy ringlets.

In the distance, one might have heard the sound of whistling steam pouring from Sakura's ears.

 

* * *

 

  
The door to the campus café lets out a small jingle as Sakura cracks it open. It barely interrupts the cacophony of clattering plates and chatter and coffee machines whirring in the background, and shuts with a snap as she steps in; the rich smell of breads and spices and the thick steam wafting from hot drinks is a welcome reprieve from the biting cold outside.

Glancing briefly over the menu boarded above the register, she places her order before turning to skim the seating area for a spot. Within moments, she notices him.

The same boy from earlier is sitting at one of the booths, looking bored and nursing his mug idly while his friends loudly guffaw next to him.

Her pulse quickens _what must he think of me if he sees me oh no_ , but he locks eyes with her as she picks up her order and gives her a small, imperceptible nod. Her cheeks flush bright, and she manages a small inconspicuous wave with her free hand before she grabs a seat a few tables down.

He has already turned his attention back to his friends, but she remains hyper-aware as she nibbles on her sandwich, curiosity piqued while catching snippets from his friends' conversation without quite meaning to. His name is Leo, she learns. One of the others she recognizes from her physics class, Owain? Odin? She can't recall, the other boy is called Laslow, and there is one more silver-haired boy whose name she doesn't quite catch. Their jokes and japes ricochet off one another, tones teasing and full of warmth, and though Leo seldom joins them save for a few small quips between sips of his drink, there is a fondness in his voice.

She is about halfway through her own coffee when she notices Oboro, waving eagerly and bounding towards her with long strides, lunch in hand and long blue hair bouncing behind her. "Sakura!" Her voice carries through the whole café. Sakura sees Leo's eyes snap towards her out of the corner of her own, and she gulps.

"I'm REALLY sorry, I should have totally walked you back from my room. It's dangerous to go out on your own while it's dark, you know, there are loads of creeps and floozies making the early morning rounds all the time," Oboro says.

Sakura winces, quite certain she is audible to Leo, who she sees stiffen. Odin snickers and elbows Laslow, who hunches over with a flush and mutters something about _"not a floozy"_.

"It's okay, Oboro, I was fine," she says softly, and, daring to raise her voice a little, "I didn't see anyone suspicious."

Leo's shoulders relax.

"At least let me walk you to your next class to make up for it." She raises her hand as Sakura is about to protest. " _Please_. For my own peace of mind."

"O-Okay," Sakura concedes, and Oboro lets out a satisfied hum as she pulls out a chair and takes a seat across from her. They chat absentmindedly as they finish their drinks, and within minutes they are already on their feet, clearing their plates to deposit at the return counter.

Though she is halfway out the door, Sakura can feel his gaze trained on her from behind. 

 

* * *

 

 

The library is the only campus building open past ten o'clock, which is why Sakura is holed up at one of the study tables with her handouts spread out in front of her in a wide arc. She has a chemistry midterm on Wednesday and while she has been diligent in her studies, her attention is barely present by the fourth hour of her review session. She is glazing the same sentence with her eyes, her gaze snapping back and forth with her pencil eraser pressing sharply into the indent of her cheek. _Something something composition of soil something particles something porous space-_

Most occupants have left by now, she knows, save for a few stragglers still fighting against their bodily urges to pass out. Some of them have lost that battle, she notes sympathetically, knowing they'll have prominent book indentations on their foreheads when they do wake up.

She is about ready to call it quits, too. She glances at the clock - _4:18 am_ \- and lets out a breathy sigh, sliding her folder into her textbook and shutting it closed with a small thud. She stands up and smooths her skirt out, before slipping her things into her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder.

The halls are dimly lit and mostly silent, save for the occasional page turn or stray cough of a lone student. She takes cautious steps through the aisles, treading carefully so as not to disturb with her footsteps that carry too easily.

She passes line after line of bookcases stretching well across the room and dicing it into clean-cut rows, and turns to round a corner before she nearly smacks headfirst into a dark figure. Whoever it is stops abruptly, and she does too, blinking, startled, stammering, "Oh- I-I'm sorry, I-"

She _knows_ that mat of blonde hair. Her heartbeat quickens.

"It's okay," he responds absently, still thumbing through his book, before looking up tiredly. His eyebrows shoot upward as he takes in the girl in front of him, his brown eyes lit with familiarity.

"Aren't you-"

"Y-You're the-"

They both falter. He clears his throat. "Leo," he offers, extending a hand out.

"H-Hello," she says, hesitantly taking his hand and releasing it quickly. "M-my name is Sakura."

"Sakura," he repeats, shifting the weight of his books onto the other arm. "Burning the midnight oil too, I take it?"

"Y-yes. I have a midterm coming up..."

He chuckles humorlessly, gestures around to the gaggle of sleeping figures slumped in their chairs around them. "Yes, you and every other freshman. I imagine it's exam week for you all." One of them snores prominently as if to illustrate his point.

 _So he's older_ , she thinks, though certainly not by much. "A-are you here to study too? I-I mean, your exams are p-probably over, but..."

"I'm here most nights," he explains. "Noisy roommates."

"Oh. I-is that why you were-"

"-walking back so early in the morning?" he finishes, the corner of his mouth quirking into a wry smile. "Yes, my friends were throwing a party. It wasn't the ideal atmosphere for studying nor sleeping."

Sakura's cheeks tinge pink. "I-I was also coming back. From a party. N-not anything c-crazy or anything, just-"

"I heard," he acknowledges.

There's an awkward beat of silence.

"I-I wasn't doing a-"

"It's not like I was-"

They both start, looking at the other with barely concealed surprise in their similar modes of thought. And then Leo suddenly laughs, a deep rumbling sound from his chest, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Sakura smiles meekly, a giggle escaping her own lips.

"It's rather late. Can I walk you back to your dorm?" he offers.

 _As long as Hana isn't awake to interrogate_ , she thinks.

He only seems to notice her hesitation, however. "It's okay to say no if you're uncomfortable, I don't mean to pressure," he reassures.

"N-no, it's okay," she responds hastily. "Hana isn't awake-" _Ah,_ his understanding expression seems to say, "-so it's fine."

"Let me grab my things," he says, and she gives a small nod, squeezing the bag straps in her grip just a little tighter. He rounds the corner towards his work space for the evening, and she peeks curiously from behind the bookcase - materials are strewn all over one of the tables, scribbled notes splayed across the surface and stacks of books making a small but nonetheless impressive fortress around him. _Wow._

"It's been a productive night," he says in response, and she blushes, realizing she spoke aloud. He unceremoniously drops a stack of books into the return bin, and gathers the rest along with his notes with a broad sweep of his arm before tucking them into his messenger bag. He snaps it shut with a _click,_  hefts it onto his shoulder, then turns to her, gesturing ahead of him. "Shall we?"

The two flash their student cards at the too-tired student worker halfheartedly manning the reception desk, who waves them through, and push open the double doors together. A blast of cool morning wind hits Sakura full-on, and she exhales the breath she didn't know she'd been holding with a puff of steam that dissipates into the frigid air. But the cold is more refreshing than chilling, and she breathes again, deeply, feeling just a little rejuvenated.

"Does it still look like a walk of shame if it's two people?" Leo wonders aloud, bemused.

"M-maybe," she agrees, less concerned about the prospect than she had imagined.

He shrugs, equally unburdened. "Oh well. Not as shameful _with_ a partner, is it?" and Sakura flushes a bit redder.

An outsider watching could, perhaps, imagine a wanton couple wandering back from a night of debauchery. But they could also spot a very disheveled and dissatisfied Laslow traipsing back to his room alone, and two still looks better than one.

**Author's Note:**

> I really do love Laslow, I promise. It's just too easy, albeit a low-hanging fruit. 
> 
> The end! I'm about to move out of my apartment and I'm supposed to be cleaning at the moment, but I've instead been karaokeing and eating festival food and writing more gratuitous Fire Emblem fanfiction. Oops. And for the record, there is absolutely nothing shameful about the Walk of Shame. Have fun and get it, son!
> 
> I also realize I am churning much of this out without anyone double checking it save for myself. I don't know how I'm doing. Am I doing OK? Let me know. How does one even go about acquiring a beta reader? Maybe I should post my writing on tumbloo to get it ripped apart between all my dank memes.


End file.
